The Gospel of Thomas:"The Kingdom (of Heaven) is inside you and it is outside you";"Split a piece of wood, and I am there,"Lift up the stone and there you will find me";

Isaac of Syria said :"Try to enter your treasure house and you will see the treasure house of Heaven;To him who knows himself knowledge of all things is given.For knowing oneself is the fulfillment of the knowledge of all things"

The miracles (including the walking on water) are known in the various religious and philosophical traditions and are usually understood as manifestations of our innate divine power.
Just as the Hindu deities can descend in human forms (avatars), so the Hindu saints can, through the practice of asceticism (tapas), rise to godlike status. Thus the saint is often understood to be a "god-man" or a "goddess woman" by virtue of having "realized" the divinity innate in all human beings.

In this context, a miracle is a manifestation of supernormal powers (siddhis) acquired as a function of attaining mystic trance (samadhi) through meditation and physical austerities(tapas,ascetism,asceza). A classic treatment of the siddhis is the Yoga Sutra of Patanjali, where the list of supernormal powers includes knowledge of previous lives; clairvoyance; knowledge of the moment when one will die; control over and thus freedom from one's bodily systems; the ability to levitate and transverse great distances in a moment's time; the power to expand or shrink one's body; and so forth.[from:http://science.jrank.org/pages/10251/Miracles-Miracles-in-Sacred-Scriptures.html] Patanjali in Yoga Sutras( Chapter Three--Vibbuti Pada) states that each human being can achieve what are called the yoga siddhis, or miraculous powers.In Yoga Sutra III, 40: "By mastery of udana prana, which moves up from the chest, one can encounter obstacles like water, mud, thorns, and so on without contacting them and, through this pranic current, ascend from gravity"(http://www.yogachicago.com/sep05/sutras.shtml );

"By self-control of the nerve-currents utilising the lifebreath, one may levitate, walk on water, swamps, thorns, or the like".In the Chinese wuxia martial arts genre, some warriors may be able to fly or jump with the aid the water's surface. This is never explained by other than the depth of their training.
In ancient Egyptian Mythology the God Horus walked on water, and in ancient Greek Mythology the giant hunter and son of the gods Orion walked on water. Hindu, Buddhist [http://www.sacred-texts.com/bud/btg/btg86.htm], and Greek [http://www.comfychair.org/~cmbell/myth/orion.html] traditions have stories about characters walking on water.
Walking on water is one of the miracles that the Gospels attribute to Jesus. An account of the miracle appears in the Gospels of John (John 6:16-21), of Matthew[14:22-33] and of Mark [6:45-52]. According to the Biblical narrative, Jesus sent the disciples in a boat, ahead of him, to Bethsaida, but when they were half way across the lake, Jesus walked over the lake and met them. The narrative states that the disciples were scared at first, thinking it was a ghost, but when Jesus revealed himself and got into the boat, they calmed down. According to Matthew (but not Mark or John) Peter was also able to walk on water, following Jesus's example[Matthew 14:22-33 ].

Someone may be "walking on water” not because they have learned a great secret, but rather that they have not 'learned' that they cannot do such a thing. Sometimes the correction for a situation is not to do something more, but primarily to stop what we have being doing; rather than learning something new, relinquish limiting information that you have acquired along the way.

Our past conditioning is an obstacle to holographic functioning of our mind (transpersonal or non-dual state of mind) which is the yoga(the state of union,alignment);
Deprogramming/deconditioning is bringing that boundless heart space into "life" -- allowing for it - creating stillness more and more.See in chapter 11 of Lao Tzu the use of koans to empty our mind
When we surrender we refresh/reload the page and we return inside

48.1.Act for knowledge (Indirect Knowledge) and there is daily increase(we accumulate experience,memories,desires,activities,agitation,wei).

48.2.Act for Tao (the Way of Direct Knowledge) and there is daily decrease (we unlearn, drop , diminish desires, memories, agitation, activities, wei).

48.3.Decrease, and again decrease[agitations,desires,conditioning,deeds,thoughts,actions,activities],

48.4.Till you reach Wu-Wei (Non-action;the state without activities).

48.5.By Wu-Wei (the state without activities, non-action) there is nothing that is not done(all miraculous powers are possible)

48.6.That is why one should be permanent in a state of Wu-Wei (beyond action) to govern the world

48.7.For those who fight to conquer the world (for those who still have ambitions;for those who act, in order to win it,),

48.8.The world is already beyond their conquest. (its out of their reach; results in failure)

Note:The indirect knowledge of ordinary science is something built up brick by brick.This is not the knowledge of the reality, but the knowledge of the reflection of the reality in the mirror of the mind. In Taoism and Zen, they say "the reflection of the Moon on the surface of a still lake , is not the Moon itself” …or "the finger pointing at the Moon is not the Moon itself". It is called Mediated or indirect or second-hand knowledge because this type of knowledge is mediated by the signals(impulses;activities;vrittis) from our senses; Direct knowledge (Perception) is rather something that gradually becomes visible like the clear sky and the sun emerges out when the clouds impulses;activities;Chinese:"wei"";Sanskrit:"vrittis") are not longer present.

The knowledge of Tao is something already present in us as a potential, something that arises from within. The knowledge of Truth is thus neither something laboriously constructed bottom-up out of loose elements, nor derived top-down out of some grand theory. Direct Knowledge can thus arise, just like a sudden insight, by itself when we remove the clouds(impulses;activities;Chinese:"wei"";Sanskrit:"vrittis") that stands in its way.That is why there is nothing that is not done when you arrive in the state of wu-wei.

Awareness of man's Original Divine Nature is like watching the reflection of the Moon on the surface of a still lake. Actually the Moon is not in the lake, but if clouds appear and cover the moon, people say that it has departed from the lake, yet it has gone nowhere. The Universal Soul is always present,always available to guide, but the clouds of the mind(wei,activities) create the phenomena of apparent separation.

see below other translations of chapter 48 /Sentence 1

Beck: The pursuit of learning is to increase day by day. The practice of the Way is to decrease day by day. Less and less is done until one reaches non-action.

Blackney:The student learns by daily increment. The Way is gained by daily loss, Loss upon loss until At last comes rest.

Bynner: A man anxious for knowledge adds more to himself every minute; A man acquiring life loses himself in it, Has less and less to bear in mind, Less and less to do,

Byrn :One who seeks knowledge learns something new every day. One who seeks the Tao unlearns something new every day.

Chan, Wing-tsit: The pursuit of learning is to increase day after day. The pursuit of Tao is to decrease day after day.

Cleary: For learning you gain daily; for the Way you lose daily.

Crowley: The scholar seeks daily increase of knowing; the sage of Dao, daily decrease of doing.

Gia-fu Feng and Jane English:

In the pursuit of learning, every day something is acquired.
In the pursuit of Tao, every day something is dropped.
Less and less is done
Until non-action is achieved.
When nothing is done, nothing is left undone.
The world is ruled by letting things take their course.
It cannot be ruled by interfering.

Tam Gibbs

In pursuing knowledge, one accumulates daily.
In practicing Tao, one loses daily.
Lose and lose and lose, until one reaches Non-action.
Non-action, yet there is nothing left undone.
To win the world one must not act for gain.
If one acts for gain, one will not be able to win the world

Robert G. Henricks

1. Those who work at their studies increase day after day;
2. Those who have heard the Dao decrease day after day.
3. They decrease and decrease, till they get to the point where they do nothing.
4. They do nothing and yet there's nothing left undone.
5. When someone wants to take control of the world, he must always be unconcerned with affairs.
6. For in a case where he's concerned with affairs,
7. He'll be unworthy, as well, of taking control of the world.

Hansen: In deem-acting on 'study' one daily increases. In deem-acting on 'the guide ' one daily decreases.

Legge: He who devotes himself to learning from day to day increase (his knowledge); he who devotes himself to the Tao from day to day diminish (his doing).

D.C. Lau translation (Penguin Books, 1963)

In the pursuit of learning one knows more every day;
In the pursuit of the way one does less every day.
One does less and less until one does nothing at all, and when one does nothing at all there is nothing that is undone.
It is always through not meddling that the empire is won.
Should you meddle, then you are not equal to the task of winning the empire.

The student of knowledge (aims at) learning day by day; The student of Tao (aims at) losing day by day. By continual losing One reaches doing nothing (laissez-faire).

Mabry: To pursue learning is to grow a little more every day. To pursue the Tao is to desire a little less every day.

McDonald: The student of knowledge goes into learning a little day by day; The student of dao reduces his assets by dwindling or losing a bit each day. Learning consists in adding daily to one's stock, and the practice of dao consists in loose dwindling day by day. It could be subtracting till one has reached inactivity. By steady reductions [of certain sorts] you reach certain sorts of laissez-faire.

Merel: The follower of knowledge learns as much as he can every day; The follower of the Way forgets as much as he can every day.

Mitchell: In pursuit of knowledge, every day something is added. In the practice of the Tao, every day something is dropped.

Muller: In studying, each day something is gained. In following the Tao, each day something is lost.

Red Pine: Those who seek learning gain every day those who seek the Way lose every day

Ta-Kao,Ch'u , 1904: He who pursues learning will increase every day; He who pursues Tao will decrease every day.

Walker :In the pursuit of learning, every day something is added. In the pursuit of Tao, every day something is dropped.

Wieger, Léon 1913 in French - English translation by Derek Bryce, 1999:

48.1 By studying, every day one increases (useless and injurious particular notions, in one's memory); by concentrating on the Principle, they are diminished every day.
48.2 Pushed to the limit, this diminution ends in non-action, (the consequence of the absence of particular ideas). Now there is nothing that non-action (letting things go) cannot sort out. It is through non-action that one wins the empire.
48.3 To act, in order to win it, results in failure.

Wing, R.L. , 1986

To pursue the academic, add to it daily.
To pursue the Tao, subtract from it daily.
Subtract and subtract again,
To arrive at nonaction.
Through nonaction nothing is left undone.
The world is always held wtihout effort.
The moment there is effort,
The world is beyond holding.

"48.1Learning consists in daily accumulating; The practice of Tao consists in daily diminishing.
48.2 Keep on diminishing and diminishing, Until you reach the state of Non-Ado. Non-Ado, And yet nothing is left undone.
48.3 To win the world, one must renounce all. If one still has private ends to serve, One will never be able to win the world. ".

Duyvendak-Tao Te Ching The Book of the Way and Its Virtue translated from the Chinese and Annotated by J.J.L. Duyvendak. 1954. John Murray. London
"Practice learning and there is daily increase.
Practice the Way and there is daily decrease.
Decrease, and again decrease, till it reaches non-action.
By doing nothing there is nothing that is not done"

"In the pursuit of learning, every day something is acquired.
In the pursuit of Tao, every day something is dropped.
More and more dropped, until Wu-Wei is achieved.
With Wu-Wei, nothing is left undone.
The world always takes its own course.
If not, it cannot rule the world".

Ren Jiyu-A Taoist Classic The Book of Laozi by Ren Jiyu (translated by He Guanghu, Gao Shining, Song Lidao and Xu Junyao). Foreign Languages Press. Beijing. 1993.
"The pursuit of learning is to increase (knowledge) day after day.
The pursuit of Tao is to decrease (knowledge) day after day.
Decreasing and decreasing again, till one has reached nonaction (wu-wei).
Nonaction and yet there is nothing that is not done by it.
To govern all under Heaven one usually should not take any arbitrary action.
If one tends to do anything arbitrarily,
One is not qualified to govern all under Heaven"

He who seeks learnedness will daily increase. He who seeks Reason will daily diminish. He will diminish and continue to diminish until he arrives at non-assertion.
With non-assertion there is nothing that he cannot achieve. When he takes the empire, it is always because he uses no diplomacy. He who uses diplomacy is not fit to take the empire.

Beck:The best leaders the people barely know. The next best they love and praise. The next they fear. And the next they hate.

BlackneyAs for him who is highest, The people just know he is there. His deputy's cherished and praised; Of the third, they are frightened; The fourth, they despise and revile.

BynnerA leader is best When the people barely know that he exists, Not so good when people obey and acclaim him, Worst when they despise him.

ByrnThe best leaders are those the people hardly know exist. The next best is a leader who is loved and praised. Next comes the one who is feared. The worst one is the leader that is despised.

ChanThe best (rulers) are those whose existence is (merely) known by the people. The next best are those who are loved and praised. The next are those who are feared. And the next are those who are despised.

ClearyVery great leaders in their domains are only known to exist. Those next best are loved and praised. The lesser are feared and despised.

CrowleyIn the Age of Gold, the people were not conscious of their rulers; in the Age of Silver, they loved them, with songs; In the Age of Brass, they feared them; in the Age of Iron, they despised them.

HansenThe best hierarchy is one those below realize is there. Next to that is one that you feel kin to and extol. Next to that is one you dread. Next to that is one you contemn.

LaFargueThe greatest ruler: those under him only know he exists the next best kind: they love and praise him the next: they are in awe of him the next: they despise him.

LeggeIn the highest antiquity, (the people) did not know that there were (their rulers). In the next age they loved them and praised them. In the next they feared them; in the next they despised them.

LindauerThe very highest, little knowledge is present of it That next is attached to yet praised That next is respected That next is despised.

LinYutanThe people (only) know that they exist; The next best the love and praise; The next they fear; And the next they revile.

MabryThe best leader is one that the people are barely aware of. The next best is one who is loved and praised by the people. Next comes one who is feared. Worst is one who is despised.

McDonaldOf the best the people hardly ever know they exist; The next best they flock to and praise for nothing. The next they shrink from; the next get reviled.

MerelThe best rulers are scarcely known by their subjects; The next best are loved and praised; The next are feared; The next despised:

MitchellWhen the Master governs, the people are hardly aware that he exists. Next best is a leader who is loved. Next, one who is feared. The worst is one who is despised.

MullerFrom great antiquity forth they have known and possessed it. Those of the next level loved and praised it. The next were in awe of it. And the next despised it.

Red PineDuring the High Ages people knew they were there then people loved and praised them then they feared them finally they despised them

Ta-KaoThe great rulers - the people do not notice their existence; The lesser ones - they attach to and praise them; The still lesser ones - they fear them; The still lesser ones - they despise them.

WalkerThe best leader is one whose existence is barely known. Next best is one who is lived and praised. Next is one who is feared. Worst of all is a leader who is despised.

Wayism

WiegerIn the early days (when, in human affairs, everything still conformed to the action of the Principle), subjects scarcely knew that they had a prince (so discreet was the action of the latter). After this the people loved and flattered their prince (because of his good deeds), but later on, they feared him (because of his laws), and scorned him (because of his unjust acts).

WorldThe best leaders are in harmony with their followers. The next best are those who are respected. Then comes those who are feared. The worst are those who are despised.

WuThe highest type of ruler is one of whose existence the people are barely aware. Next comes one whom they love and praise. Next comes one whom they fear. Next comes one whom they despise and defy.

Ch. 17

Sentence 2

Beck

Those who lack trust will not be trusted. Then they resort to promises.

Blackney

If you trust people less than enough, Some of them never trust you.

Bynner

'Fail to honour people, They fail to honour you;'

Byrn

If you don't trust the people, they will become untrustworthy.

Chan

It is only when one does not have enough faith in others that others will have no faith in him.

Cleary

Therefore when faith is insufficient and there is disbelief,

Crowley

As the rulers lost Confidence, so also did the people lose confidence in them.

Hansen

When reliability is inadequate in it There will be unreliability in it.

LaFargue

When sincerity does not suffice it was not sincerity.

Legge

Thus it was that when faith (in the Tao) was deficient (in the rulers) a want of faith in them ensued (in the people).

Lindauer

Where there is belief without enough within A lack of believing what is within is present.

LinYutan

When they do not command the people's faith, Some will lose faith in them, And then they resort to oaths!

Mabry

If the leader does not have enough faith in his people, They will not have faith in him.

McDonald

"Not believing people you turn them into liars" - such bosses don't command the people's faith. They lose faith in them and take to oaths!

Merel

They have no faith in their people, And their people become unfaithful to them.

Mitchell

If you don't trust the people, you make them untrustworthy.

Muller

If you lack sincerity no one will believe you.

Red Pine

when honesty fails dishonesty prevails

Ta-Kao

For where faith is lacking, It cannot be met by faith.

Walker

If you fail to trust people, they won't turn out to be trustworthy.

Wayism

Wieger

They became disloyal, though having been treated disloyally. They lost confidence in him though receiving only good words which were never put into effect.

World

If one perceives others as untrustworthy, then that will be the experience that one acknowledges. The selective acknowledgment of untrustworthiness verifies one's perception of the untrustworthiness of others.

Wu

When you are lacking in faith, Others will be unfaithful to you.

Ch. 17

Sentence 3

Beck

But when they accomplish their task and complete their work, the people say, "We did it ourselves."

Blackney

He is aloof, as if his talk Were priced beyond the purchasing; But once his project is contrived, The folk will want to say of it: "Of course! We did it by ourselves!"

Bynner

But of a good leader, who talks little, When his work is done, his aim fulfilled, They will all say, 'We did this ourselves.'

Byrn

The best leaders value their words, and use them sparingly. When she has accomplished her task, the people say, "Amazing: we did it, all by ourselves!"

Chan

(The great rulers) value their words highly. They accomplish their task; they complete their work. Nevertheless their people say that they simply follow Nature.

Cleary

it is from the high value placed on words. Works are accomplished, tasks are completed, and ordinary folk all say they are acting spontaneously.

Crowley

How hesitating did they seem, the Lords of the Age of Gold, speaking with deliberation, aware of the weight of their world! Thus they accomplished all things with success; and the people deemed their well-being to be the natural course of events.

Hansen

Reflectively! His ennobling of language. Works are completed; affairs proceed And the hundred surnames all call this 'our nature (our own doing)'

LaFargue

("Reticent - he is sparing with words.") He achieves successes he accomplishes his tasks and the hundred clans all say: We are just being natural.

Legge

How irresolute did those (earliest rulers) appear, showing (by their reticence) the importance which they set upon their words! Their work was done and their undertakings were successful, while the people all said, 'We are as we are, of ourselves!'

Lindauer

So remote, those treasure words Outstanding service performed, efforts successful the one hundred families say We did it naturally.

LinYutan

But (of the best) when their task is accomplished, their work done, The people all remark, "We have done it ourselves."

Mabry

The best leader puts great value in words and says little So that when his work is finished The people all say, "We did it ourselves!"

McDonald

The wise man is a clever ruler; he values his words highly. It's so hard to get a single word from at any price that when his task is finished, a work well done, everyone says, "It happened by itself, and we did it."

Merel

When the best rulers achieve their purpose Their subjects claim the achievement as their own.

Mitchell

The Master doesn't talk, he acts. When his work is done, the people say, "Amazing: we did it, all by ourselves!"

Muller

How careful she is with her precious words! When her work is complete and her job is finished, Everybody says: "We did it!"

Red Pine

hesitate and guard your words when their work succeeds let people think they did it

Ta-Kao

Now how much importance must be attributed to words!

Walker

Therefore, guide others by quietly relying on Tao. Then, when the work is done, the people can say, "We did this ourselves."

Wayism

Wieger

How delicate was the touch of ancient rulers. When everything prospered under their administration, the people believed they had done everything themselves, of their own free will.

World

When the leaders are in harmony with their followers, few laws are necessary and all tasks are accomplished with ease. The followers, not perceiving the administration of leadership, marvel at the manifestationsof harmony and experience a sense of self worth.

Wu

The Sage is self-effacing and scanty of words. When his task is accomplished and things have been completed, All the people say, "We ourselves have achieved it!"

BeckWhen the great Way is forgotten, the doctrines of humanity and morality arise.

BlackneyThe mighty Way declined among the folk And then came kindness and morality.

BynnerWhen people lost sight of the way to live Came codes of love and honesty,

ByrnWhen the great Tao is abandoned, charity and righteousness appear.

ChanWhen the great Tao declined, The doctrine of humanity and righteousness arose.

ClearyWhen the Great Way is deserted, then there is humanitarian duty.

CrowleyWhen men abandoned the Way of Dao, benevolence and justice became necessary.

HansenWhen the great guide is cast aside you will have 'humanity' and 'morality.'

LaFargueWhen Great Tao vanished we got 'Goodness and Morality.'

LeggeWhen the Great Tao (Way or Method) ceased to be observed, benevolence and righteousness came into vogue.

LindauerGreat tao discarded, a presence of humanity, morality

LinYutanOn the decline of the great Tao, The doctrine of "humanity" and "justice" arose.

MabryWhen the great Tao is abandoned, Ideas of "humanitarianism" and "righteousness" appear.

McDonaldWhen the great dao declined, jen and I arose, humanity and righteousness."

MerelWhen the Way is forgotten Duty and justice appear;

MitchellWhen the great Tao is forgotten goodness and piety appear.

MullerWhen the great Tao perishes There is jen and justice.

Red PineWhen the Great Way disappears we meet kindness and justice

Ta-KaoWhen the great Tao is lost, spring forth benevolence and righteousness.

WalkerWhen people lose sight of the Tao, codes of morality and justice are created.

Wayism

WiegerWhen action conforming to the Principle dwindles, (when men cease to act with spontaneous goodness and fairness), artificial principles of goodness and fairness, prudence and wisdom (are invented).

WorldWhen the oneness of Infinity is forgotten, judgment appears and people are distinguished as good and righteous.

WuWhen the Great Tao was abandoned, There appeared humanity and justice.